Supporting and driving device for conveyers and the like.



A. J. HARTLEY. SUPPORTING AND DRIVING DEVIGE PORUONVEYERS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1911. Y

Y Patented July 23,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET}.

auvewtoz COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH (10.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

A. .T. HARTLEY.

SUPPORTING AND DRIVING DEVICE FOR GONVEYERS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1911. 1,03 3,3 1 7.

Patented July 23, 191:2.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ll/ lI/Ill/ II COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH 10., WASHINGTON, D. ,2.

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE;

ARTHUR, J. HARTLEY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO C. J. HARTLEY 00.,OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

SUPPORTING AND DRIVING DEVICE FOR CONVEYERS AND THE LIKE.

T0 alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. HARTLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting and DrivingDevices for Conveyers and the Like, of which the following is aspecifica tion.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in supporting anddriving devices for conveyers and the like; and the objects and natureof the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the artin the light of the following explanation of the accompanying drawingsillustrating what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of myinvention.

An object of the invention is to provide a mounting and drive forlateral swingable conveyers to permit vertical as well as lateral swingof the conveyer without throwing the gearing or driving mechanism out ofgear or operative relation.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and incombinations and arrangements as more fully and pan ticularly set forthhereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:Figure 1, is a side elevation ofthe mounting and drive showing the receiving end of a coneveyer carriedthereby. Fig. 2, is a rear or end elevation. Fig. 3, is a top plan viewwith the conveyer removed. Fig. 4:, is a vertical section in the planeof the line ltr, Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is a detail vertical sectional view, onan enlarged scale, taken in the same plane as Fig. 4:, and showing thepositions of the parts when the free end of the conveyer is elevatedfrom normal horizontal position, dotted lines indicating the transverseaxis on which the conveyer swings.

In the drawings 1, are supporting bars fixed to and projecting from anelevator or other element not shown in the drawings.

2, is a yoke-like supporting bracket having horizontal side socketsreceiving the supports 1, said supports being suitably bolted orotherwise fixed to the bracket. This bracket is provided with horizontalseparated alined journal boxes 20, receiving the horizontal shaft 3. Atone end this shaft Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 16, 1911.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Serial No. 614,942.

is provided with driving gear 30, to which the power is applied foractuating the conveyer hereinafter described. At its intermediateportion between the boxes 20, the main shaft 8, is provided with a bevelgear 31.

The supporting bracket 2, is formed with a central vertical hollow hubor bearing box 21, in which is rotatably mounted a turn table 4, havinga hollow upper end or head 40, above the box21, and resting and turnablethereon.

5, is a vertical shaft passing concentrically through and rotatable inthe turntable and at its lower end having bevel gear 50, meshing wit-hand driven by bevel gear 31, and at its upper end provided with a bevelgear 51, arranged in the hollow upper end or head 40 of the turn table.The turn table is rotatable about a vertical axis coincident with theaxis of rotation of the shaft 5.

The head or hollow upper end 40, of the turn table is provided with apair of alined opposite horizontal trunnions 41, arranged in a verticalplane to one side of the vertical plane including the axis about whichthe turn table is rotatable.

6, is a vertically swingable frame, yoke or bracket having a pair ofdepending ends extending down at the opposite sides of the turn tablehead and formed withbearings 60, receiving and rotatable on thetrunnions 41, which form the axis on which the frame 6, is verticallyswingable. This frame 6, is formed with a central transverse horizontaljournal box 61, in which the horizontal shaft 7, is rotatable. At itsinner end the shaft 7, is provided with a bevel gear 70, located overand in mesh with and driven by the bevel gear 51. At its outer end theshaft 7, is provided with a sprocket or other power transmitting gear71.

A horizontally disposed conveyer is fixed to the swingable bracket 6. Ishow the hopper or receiving end of the trough or casing of a conveyercontaining a rotary conveyer screw or the like, not shown, and having aconveyer shaft 80, provided with driving sprocket 81, or other suitablegear arranged in operative relation with respect to the sprocket 71, anddriven thereby through the medium of a sprocket chain 82, indicated bydotted lines. I show the receiving end of the conveyer 8 having abracket or base 83, fixed. thereto and depending therefrom and bolted orotherwise fixed to the swing able bracket 6, and arranged thereon sothat the bracket 6, and the conveyer 8, can swing vertically andhorizontally together or as one member.

The trunnions a1, forming the axial line on which the frame 6, andconveyer are swingable vertically are so arranged with respect to thegears 51 and as to permit vertical swing of the conveyor withoutthrowing said gears out of mesh, that is, out of operative powertransmitting relation. The horizontal alined trunnions 4:1, are spaced adistance apart so that the engaging teeth of the gears 51,'70, arearranged between the two trunnions, and the axial line of the trunnionsis tangentially arranged with respect to the circular paths of movementof said gears and intersects approximately the outer end portions of theengaging teeth of said gears.

By the arrangement of elements described, the conveyer 8 can swinghorizontally on the vertical axis of the turntable as a center withoutdisturbing the operative power transmitting relation of the variousgears described. When thus swinging horizontally the parts turn on thebox 21, of the main supporting bracket 2.

In swinging the conveyer horizontally about the vertical axis of theturn table, particularly when the conveyor is swung over the deck of athrashing machine, obstructions are often encountered rendering itnecessary to raise the out board or free end of the conveyor in order toclear the obstruction. By the arrangement of elements described thisvertical movement is permitted without throwing the gearing fromoperative relation inasmuch as the gears 51., 70, intermesh loosely andthe common longitudinal axis of the trunnions 41 (the axis on which theconveyer is swingable vertically) transversely intersects approximatelythe outer end portions of the engaging teeth of the gears 51, 70. Thesegears so loosely intermesh that when the delivery end of the spout orconveyor is lifted over an obstruction gears 51, 70, will be separatedto the extent that they will. intermesh only at the lower (outer)portions of their teeth. As these gears intermesh loosely and are heldin the just mentioned abnormal relation only while the conveyer is beinglifted over the obstruction, the wear on the gears due to such abnormalrelations is of no consequence. The normal running or operating positionof said gears vis illustrated by Fig. 1.

It is evident that various changes and modifications might be resortedto in the forms, constructions and arrangements of the parts describedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence Ido not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosure hereof.

What I claim is 1. A conveyer supporting and driving mechanismcomprising a main supporting bracket, a horizontal drive shaft mountedtherein, a turn table mounted therein to rotate on a vertical axis, avertical shaft mounted in the turn table to rotate on an axis concentricwith the axis of rotation of the turn table, bevel gears operatively connecting the horizontal and vertical shafts, a vertically swingablebracket mounted on the turn table and provided with a horizontal shaftrotatable therein, bevel gears operatively connecting said lastmentioned shaft and the upper end of the vertical shaft, a conveyorfixed on said swingable bracket and adapted to be operatively connectedwith and driven by said last mentioned horizontal shaft, said verticallyswingable bracket swinging on a horizontal axis approximatelyintersecting the engaging teeth of the bevel gears between the verticalshaft and the horizontal shaft carried by said swingable frame.

2. A conveyer supporting and drive mechanism comprising a mainsupporting bracket, a turn table carried thereby and rotatable thereinabout a vertical axis and provided with lateral spaced trunnions havinga common horizontal axis, a vertically swingable frame mounted on saidtrunnions, a conveyor fixed to and swingable with said frame, a conveyeractuating horizontal shaft mounted in said frame, a vertical shaft.mounted in said turn table, a pair of loosely meshing vertical andhorizontal. beveled gears operatively connecting said horizontal andvertical shafts with their engaging teeth arranged between saidtrunnions and transversely intersected by the axial line of saidtrunnions and on which said frame swings vertically.

Mechanism for the purpose substantially as described, comprising asupport, a turn table rotatable about a vertical axis, a verticallyswingable conveyer-carrying frame mounted on the turn table, a verticalshaft rotatable in the turn table, a conveyeractuating horizontal shaftmounted in said frame, and loosely meshing beveled gears fixed to theadjacent inner ends of said shafts and operatively connecting the same,the horizontal axis on which said frame swings on the turn tableintersecting approximately the outer end portions of the engaging teethof said gears.

4t. Mechanism for the purpose substantially as described, comprising asupport, a turn table rotatable about a vertical axis and at its upperend to one side of said vertical axis having separated horizontal alinedtrunnions, a vertically swingable frame mounted on said trunnions, aconveyer fixed on said frame and having a conveyer shaft, a horizontalshaft in said frame and parallel with and operatively connected to saidconveyer shaft, a vertical shaft in said turn table, and beveled gearson the inner ends of said horizontal and vertical shafts and operativelyconnecting the same and having their engaging teeth arranged betweensaid trunnions and approximately at their outer end portions intersectedby the axial line of said t-runnions.

5. A conveyer supporting and driving mechanism comprising a mainsupporting bracket having a vertical bearing opening, a horizontal driveshaft mounted in said bracket, a vertical turn table mounted in saidopening to rotate on a vertical axis and having a horizontal top headand alined horizontal spaced trunnions, a vertical shaft mounted torotate in said turn table and at its upper end having a horizontal bevelgear forked bracket having spaced bearings mounted on said trunnions toswing on a transverse axis, a horizontal shaft mounted in said bracketand having a bevel gear meshing with said horizontal bevel gear be tweensaid trunnions, a conveyer fixed on said bracket and swingablevertically therewith and having a shaft, and gearing operativelyconnecting said conveyer shaft and said last mentioned horizontal shaft.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR J. HARTLEY.

Witnesses:

E. BLANCHE FITZWATER, C. J. HARTLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

